2 Corinthians 2:10: “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,”
May 29th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotionalPaul was a man of God who understood the need to forgive those who wrong us. When we forgive, we set a prisoner free, only to discover later that the prisoner who is now free is us. Forgiveness is a promise to ourselves that when our memory goes back to the offense, we will not allow it to make us angry all over again. When it comes to mind, we choose to put it aside as something that belongs to the past. And as we refuse to dwell on the issue, we also choose to repeat a prayer for that person and repeat out loud our choice to forgive, no matter how often the old memory reoccurs. That is the kind of forgiveness that Paul confessed he chose to do. The apostle forgave of course, because he had been forgiven.
We hear people say, “I just can’t forgive in this case. I just can’t do it. It hurt me too much.” That is a sure fire admission that they have never thought through just how much they have been forgiven themselves. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 4:32, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Clearly Paul forgave because he received forgiveness from the Creator of the Universe. How could he not forgive a mere sinful human being who had wronged him, when the King of Kings had forgiven him? How could we also not forgive, when God has forgiven us so much?
“LORD, we choose to forgive that person who has wronged us because You have forgiven us. Please help us to refuse to dwell on their offense against us any longer, in Jesus’ name.”